Standard of care in dentistry

Abstract

Medical ethics is primarily a field of applied ethics, the study of moral values and judgments as applicable to medicine. Dental practitioners constitute a group of health professionals who deal with human health care on a regular basis. Various ethical principles govern their conduct and their approach toward the patients. Ethical code of conduct prescribes a minimum standard of care which is applicable to all dental professionals. Substandard dental care is unacceptable and mounts to negligence on the part of the professional. Knowledge on what constitutes standard of care is a pre-requisite for dental professionals in providing quality health care. This paper presents a brief overview on standard of care as applicable to dentist and its practical implications with a note on the legal issues pertaining to medical negligence as applicable in India.

Keywords

• Dentistry, expert witness, medical negligence, standard of care